Leading the Pack

Leading the Pack

QATAR’S CAPITAL CITY OF DOHA HAS A LOT OF BREEDING GROUNDS FOR POTENTIAL SKATEBOARDERS, WHICH IS WHY DESPITE YOUR TYPICAL GULF WEATHER, YOU CAN STILL FIND A GOOD BUNCH OF RIDERS POPPING OLLIES OR SHREDDING AT ONE OF THE PARKS.

Qatari students Ali al-Majid and Fares al-Rabbat are avid, homegrown skateboarders who would never pass on the chance to ride along their favorite spots or any given nook and cranny.
“My favorite spot to ride is at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) grounds because the area is spacious and it has a big park,” said 23-year old sophomore student Ali, who is taking up Criminology and Math at the Community College of Qatar.
Aside from the grub, the MIA park has a flat ground and some nice ledges to grind, including a series of concrete steps, which are instant attractions for a street skater, said Ali, who, despite learning how to ride at 21, still keeps his first Santa Cruz skateboard.
On the other hand, 19-year old Fares owns a different turf: “I like to skate at The Pearl a lot!” Born and raised in Qatar, Fares started out skating when he was 16 with his Darkstar board.
Fares, who is now based in Los Angeles and taking up Architecture at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, values skateboarding a lot and is a true rider at heart.
“Skateboarding is more than just a hobby. It is a fun sport that maintains a high level of adrenaline and it is extremely demanding physically,” he pointed out.

Aside from promoting skateboarding as a hobby and sport, Ali and Fares also agree that skateboarding is a good way to get young children to be more active and live a healthy lifestyle.

Ali also believes that only a few Qataris are into skateboarding, and Fares noted that he’s more than welcome to be the torch bearer for the sport.